By Becky Hardin
Published Jan 13, 2020
Hands down, the best Red Beans and Rice Recipe! It’s rich, hearty and so flavorful! The beans are perfectly tender, served with rice and smoky sausage. It’s a comforting meal in a bowl, that’s bound to please!
The smoky flavors and satisfying textures will have you coming back for more than one bowl of red beans and rice. This is perfectly hearty Louisiana style comfort food at its best! Red beans and smoked sausage are cooked low and slow with flavorful spices, then served with fresh cooked rice to create a homestyle dinner recipe you’ll want again and again!
How To Make Red Beans And Rice
- In a dutch oven, add the sliced bacon and olive oil. Then onion, green pepper, celery and smoked sausage, until veg has softened and sausage has browned. Add a bay leaf and season with paprika and hot sauce.
- Then, add the beans and ham hock to the pot. Pour in chicken stock, bring to the boil then simmer. Stir the pot often, being sure beans aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Serve with Rice and garnish with scallions and chopped cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Can I Cook Red Beans And Rice In A Crock Pot?
Yes, this can also be made in the crockpot. To do so cook all ingredients, + 2 cups water, in a slow cooker on high heat 6 – 8 hours. If time allows brown the sausage first for best flavor and for this method you don’t even need to soak the beans first. Follow this Crockpot Red Beans and Rice recipe for more specific instructions!
Can I Freeze It?
Yes. Freeze red bean mixture and rice separately up to 3 months. Thaw overnight (or even 2 days for a full batch) in the refrigerator.
What To Serve With Red Beans And Rice?
This really is a meal in a bowl, delicious, rich and hearty, but you can also serve up some awesome sides with it, here are a few:
- Garlic Cheesy Cornbread Drop Biscuits
- Mexican Corn On The Cob
- Mind Blowing Grilled Corn Salad
- Spicy Cheese Broccoli
- Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
Top Tips For Red Beans And Rice
- Avoid canned red beans. That’s not authentic red beans and rice. They’d end up way overcooked with this method anyway.
- Adjust spice level to taste. Some sausage is spicy (like Cajun), you can replace with another mild sausage if preferred and cut back on hot sauce.
- Allow time to simmer. Beans won’t be cooked through if you don’t allow enough time for simmering and liquid won’t reduce down.
- Let sausage brown. With just about any dish browning the meat really adds so much flavor. Don’t toss the sausage constantly, let it rest a bit between tossing so it can brown. For maximum browning you can even brown in two batches.
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the Beans:
- ▢ 1 cup dried red beans Rancho Gordo or Camellia, if possible
- ▢ 1 smoked ham hock about 6 ounces
- ▢ 4 slices bacon cut into ¼” slices
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ 7 ounces skinless smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
- ▢ 1 cup diced yellow onion about ½ medium onion
- ▢ ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ▢ 1 celery stalk diced
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- ▢ 1½ tablespoons hot sauce like Tabasco
- ▢ 1 quart chicken stock
- ▢ 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Garnishes:
- ▢ Sliced scallions green and white parts
- ▢ Fresh chopped cilantro
For the Rice:
- ▢ 1/3 cup canola oil
- ▢ 1 large yellow onion diced
- ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
- ▢ 3 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Read through instructions and notes before starting.
For the Red Beans:
- Set a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced bacon and olive oil and cook about 5 minutes or until the fat is rendered.
- Add onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook 4 minutes, stirring often.
- Add smoked sausage and cook, stirring often, 2-3 minutes, until sausage has begun to brown, onion is translucent and the green pepper and celery have softened.
- Add bay leaf, paprika and hot sauce. Stir and remove from the heat.
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans, and remove any pebbles or impurities. Add the beans and ham hock to the pot.
- Add chicken stock, being sure the beans are covered with enough stock.
- Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that might boil to the top of the mixture.
- Reduce heat to LOW, cover and simmer 3-4 hours or until beans are tender and liquid has reduced and thickened.
- Remove the ham hock (pulling the meat from the bone, and adding it to the beans, if desired. The meat can be kept refrigerated, up to 5 days, for a different use.)
- Stir the pot often, being sure beans aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Season the beans with salt and pepper and add the sugar. Stir well and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Taste the beans and season with additional salt, pepper and hot sauce, if needed.
- Serve with Rice and garnish with scallions and chopped cilantro.
- Enjoy!
For the Rice:
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add onion, butter, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Cook while stirring often 6 minutes or until onions are cooked through and translucent.
- Add rice and stir well.
- Add broth and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, leave covered and let stand 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff the rice with a fork.
- The rice can be made ahead, cooled uncovered, and reheated when ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Red Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the Beans:
- 1 cup dried red beans Rancho Gordo or Camellia, if possible
- 1 smoked ham hock about 6 ounces
- 4 slices bacon cut into ¼” slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 7 ounces skinless smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 cup diced yellow onion about ½ medium onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1½ tablespoons hot sauce like Tabasco
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Garnishes:
- Sliced scallions green and white parts
- Fresh chopped cilantro
For the Rice:
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Read through instructions and notes before starting.
For the Red Beans:
- Set a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced bacon and olive oil and cook about 5 minutes or until the fat is rendered.
- Add onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook 4 minutes, stirring often.
- Add smoked sausage and cook, stirring often, 2-3 minutes, until sausage has begun to brown, onion is translucent and the green pepper and celery have softened.
- Add bay leaf, paprika and hot sauce. Stir and remove from the heat.
- Drain and rinse the soaked beans, and remove any pebbles or impurities. Add the beans and ham hock to the pot.
- Add chicken stock, being sure the beans are covered with enough stock.
- Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that might boil to the top of the mixture.
- Reduce heat to LOW, cover and simmer 3-4 hours or until beans are tender and liquid has reduced and thickened.
- Remove the ham hock (pulling the meat from the bone, and adding it to the beans, if desired. The meat can be kept refrigerated, up to 5 days, for a different use.)
- Stir the pot often, being sure beans aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Season the beans with salt and pepper and add the sugar. Stir well and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Taste the beans and season with additional salt, pepper and hot sauce, if needed.
- Serve with Rice and garnish with scallions and chopped cilantro.
- Enjoy!
For the Rice:
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add onion, butter, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Cook while stirring often 6 minutes or until onions are cooked through and translucent.
- Add rice and stir well.
- Add broth and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, leave covered and let stand 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff the rice with a fork.
- The rice can be made ahead, cooled uncovered, and reheated when ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
